Detectives with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office have made arrests in the October 2015 murder of 33-year-old Timothy Brian Stewart, which occurred in the 200 block of Layne Road, Soddy Daisy.
On Tuesday, detectives charged Randy Layne, 35, with criminal homicide.
Also, Randy Layne’s sister, Kattie Lynn Layne, 32, is charged with abuse of a corpse and criminal responsibility for facilitation of criminal homicide in connection with their involvement in the murder.
Both individuals were taken into custody in Soddy Daisy by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST) without incident.
The victim was found dead at the bottom of a rock quarry. An autopsy later revealed that he had been shot rather than dying from a fall.
He had been shot in the head.
The body had been at the bottom of a 200-foot bluff for several days, it was stated.
Multiple witnesses tied Layne to the victim on the day of the murder.
One said she heard Layne say he was at the victim's body and he "cut up his hands."
Another said Layne told him on Oct. 13, 2015 20-30 times that "if they find out, I'm gone for life."
He said the comments were made when he drove Layne to see his grandmother, Joy Layne.
He said Layne wanted to see his grandmother one last time. He said he hugged her and told her, "I did it. I went bigger than Uncle Wendell."
A man told police that about three years ago he was at the workhouse with Joseph Hood, who told him that Soddy Daisy police arrived on a disturbance call at 242 Layne Road. He said as police arrived, Randy and Kattie Layne and Stewart ran into nearby woods.
The witness said Hood told him he witnessed Randy Layne shooting Stewart in the back of the head and Kattie Layne pushing him over the side of the bluff.
A sister of Stewart said she approached Hood at the McDonalds in Lakeside and he told her he saw Randy Layne shoot her brother and Kattie Layne push him over the bluff.
Detectives interviewed Hood, who told them he was present when Randy Layne shot Stewart in the back of the head. He also said that Kattie Layne pushed Stewart over the bluff following the shooting.
Randy Layne is being held on a $500,000 bond after being booked into the Hamilton County Jail.
Kattie Lynn Layne was also booked at the jail.
Kattie Lynn Layne